


Everything That Matters

by The_Winter_Writer



Series: Infinity War Fix-Its [4]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: (just at the beginning), (putting this mostly to be safe since his mind does drift in that direction), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Feels, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotions, Established Relationship, Grief/Mourning, M/M, Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Protective Thor (Marvel), Reunions, Suicidal Thoughts, infinity war fix-it, this is also
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-04
Updated: 2018-08-04
Packaged: 2019-06-21 22:09:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,520
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15567390
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Winter_Writer/pseuds/The_Winter_Writer
Summary: Thor had lost everything and his vengeance had been snatched from him due to his own flash of vindictive rage. There was nothing left for him but endless grief and mourning.At least it seemed that way.





	Everything That Matters

**Author's Note:**

> That's right...I'm posting another IW fix-it of sorts but, this time, it's with ThunderIron. The gifsets on Tumblr are _torturing_ me all over again so...another fix-it to the rescue!
> 
> At least...a partial fix-it.

Stormbreaker rested next to him on the soft, sweet grass outside of the Avengers Compound. Tony had clearly been busy since he had last visited Earth. More buildings, better equipment and extensive protections had been added. Everywhere he looked he could see the little touches, the details that only Tony seemed to think of, already in place and ready. So much had changed since he’d last set foot on Earth.

The Avengers as they had been known had also been destroyed.

“How did everything go wrong?” Bruce asked where he stood nearby, looking around and not quite believing what he was seeing.

Thor didn’t _care_. He had lost far too much to _care_ and it was likely he had lost even more but he didn’t know for sure. There was no way to know how many Thanos had taken from him before and after The Snap. It had the potential of being impossible to know since the Mad Titan was still lurking out there.

He lay back in the grass, the sun beaming down on them despite the darkness lurking around every corner, as the sounds of nature attempted to distract him. Rabbit was sitting against a nearby tree, grieving silently. Everyone seemed to be grieving. The air was heavy with it.

Thor was _tired_ of mourning. He was tired of loss. In a few short years he had lost everything save his own life and at the moment he wasn’t sure if losing that would even be a loss anymore. What was the point if he had lost everything and had nothing left? It would be a broken, empty life full of sorrow and loneliness. If it was possible he would have happily laid his godhood, his power and everything that made him _Thor_ , on an alter and sacrificed it without looking back if it meant those he loved were given back to him. It would have been nothing to hand it all over if he could have them back. Without them he was empty and lost. There wasn’t a price he wasn’t willing to pay to bring them back.

His parents, his friends, his people…his _brother_ and, now, possibly, even Tony.

Maybe it was foolish to give his heart to a mortal but what did that matter in the long run when even those whose lives should stretch on for millennia were taken far too soon?

Did it even matter? He had collected an Apple from Idunn’s garden, stored it in one of Loki’s pocket dimensions, but it wouldn’t matter if there was no one to offer it to. If his lover, his should-have-been Consort, had lost his life then that wouldn’t matter and, even then, with Loki gone the Apple was beyond his reach. So much had been taken and Thor just wanted to lie down, close his eyes and join them.

“You ok?” Bruce’s voice came soft and unsure. “You…I’m sorry, Thor.” His friend had been saying that a lot since Thor had told him what had befallen the last of his family. There had been so much horror and sorrow in his friend’s gaze when Thor had finished his story.

“No.” the admission was painful but, at the same time, completely true. “I have lost everything.”

“Not everything.”

“Everything that _matters_.”

He cast his eyes away from Bruce, wanting the conversation to _die_ , only to notice a speck in the sky steadily getting bigger. It was coming towards their location and Thor squinted.

It couldn’t be more Children of Thanos and if more hostiles were coming to Earth he would have no problem wiping them from existence. Utilizing Stormbreaker wasn’t the best way to mourn, to start moving forward after such loss, but Thor wasn’t above it.

Not right now.

The happiness, the feelings of triumph, had long since faded to nothing but pain, loss, anger and grief that echoed from the very core of his soul. He had failed to _avenge_ his loved ones, his people, so why shouldn’t he lose himself to the violence of destruction and vengeance? Thor watched the speck get bigger and bigger, coming closer and closer, as it started to take the shape of a ship. The shape of it reminded him a bit of the Guardians of the Galaxy’s ship. It was possible that Rabbit’s friends might be returning for him. At least someone would get their loved ones back even if it wasn’t him.

Thor sat up, climbing to his feet and dragging Stormbreaker up with him. Regardless he would be prepared for anything. If they were an enemy they would taste his fury, his vengeance and his grief as he wiped them from existence.

“Do you think they’re hostile?” Bruce asked as he stepped up beside him. Rabbit look over at them, eyes pained and dull, before looking back at something resting in his small hands.

“If they are they won’t be for long.” He let the threat of violence creep into his voice, muscles tense and eyes trained on the door to the ship. Lightning jumped at his command with a mere thought, dancing along his hands, as he braced himself. The clouds above started to darken, lightning dancing and darting through them, as he watched the ship.

Slowly the door lowered on the battered ship and the faint sound of footsteps caught his attention as Thor walked carefully towards it. He watched as the figure walking down came into view and his heart _stopped_.

 _Tony_.

It was Tony who looked as though he’d seen battle, battered and bruised and bloodied, only to somehow come out on the other side of it whole and alive. The glow in the center of his chest only gave Thor a brief pause since it was clearly a new addition. The original had been long since replaced but Thor shoved that thought aside to focus on the mortal in front of him.

The new reactor’s presence didn’t stop him from moving forward, losing control of his power as lightning sparked and snapped around him, before he surged forward and pulled Tony into a desperate kiss that he poured every last emotion into with all of the strength he had left in his very being.

His genius’s fingers gripped the front of his armor. Thor could feel the way Tony kissed him back, just as desperate and needy, as Thor’s fingers knotted in Tony’s hair and he refused to let his mortal go. He feared if he let go for a second Tony would crumble to dust and he would _never_ get him back. There would be no coming back from that last, painful death.

_He’s alive. He’s alive. Thank the Norns. He’s alive._

Thor had one thing left. One beautiful, bright and fragile thing left in the universe. He would die to protect it because nothing would take _this_ from him. Nothing would take Tony from him. Thor would _destroy worlds_ to keep Tony safe, happy and alive.

He only pulled away because he knew that Tony needed air. “You’re alive.” His voice was wrecked and wondrous. This time the tears burning his eyes were not those of grief but happiness. His heart could burst with the emotion threatening to choke him and steal the last of his strength. One escaped and trailed down his cheek only to be ignored.

“You’re alive.” Tony’s fingers remained clenched in his armor. There was a noticeable tremble in his voice, agony and loss in usually bright brown eyes, as he stared at Thor as though Tony had just survived countless lifetimes of suffering. “We weren’t sure.”

“ _We_?”

He looked up at the ramp and watched a figure come out of the darkness of the ship. Boots and long leather clad legs led up to a familiar figure he’d spent the majority of his life traveling the Nine with. The green cape was battered and torn, leather ripped and burned, as Thor’s eyes moved up to lock onto familiar green eyes he had never thought he would see again. A sob threatened to climb his throat and escape out into the air when emotion brutally slammed into him so unexpectedly he was surprised he’d kept his feet.

Thor had lost Loki over and over and over and over again.

“ _Brother_.”

Loki was staring at him with just as much emotion as Thor could feel swelling inside of him and there wasn’t a single attempt to hide it, to conceal the raw pain that Thor could practically feel radiating from Loki. His brother, his little brother, was _alive_ and Thor didn’t care how. It was a gift, another beautiful gift, and he couldn’t question it.

If the universe decided to give him back both Tony and Loki then he was going to embrace the offering. Thor would do everything in his power to be worthy of such an unfathomable gift. He was not going to question it but he would _kill_ to keep them if that’s what it came to.

“Brother.”

“Get your ass down here, Lazarus.” Tony still hadn’t let him go but he’d turned to look back at Loki and the familiarity between the two had warm emotion bubbling inside of him. The brewing storm above had dissipated as the sun, bright and brilliant, did a good job of expressing the happiness burning brightly inside of him.

Thor watched Loki step out into the sunlight, face pale and eyes turning slightly wary, as he moved towards them. He didn’t hesitate to pull his brother into a hug, one hand still gripping onto Tony to make sure he was still there, as he breathed in Loki’s familiar scent. Thor didn’t want to release either of them.

If he did and this turned out to be a dream he wasn’t sure he would survive the emotional fallout. They were both safe, alive and with him. That’s how it would remain. Fate had clearly willed it so and Thor was not about to go against something he’d believed beyond his reach.

“How?”

Tony was the one to respond. “Someone apparently overtaxed themselves using magic to trick a manic grape, lost consciousness and was _lucky_ we found him floating in space.”

“I healed your wound.”

“And I already thanked you for that, Maleficent. Walking around with a stab wound isn’t fun and I can only take so many hits before I’m a walking bruise.”

Thor pulled back and watched two of the most important people in his life trade increasingly detailed insults. He could _see_ the amusement in Tony’s eyes and the mischief in Loki’s, the way their lips quirked minutely and the very obvious lack of heat with each new barb flung. They looked as though they were enjoying themselves; both of them seemed to be relaxing more and more with each hurled jab.

A small coil of dread filled him.

“Oh no.”

A pair of brown eyes and a pair of green eyes turned to look at him. They were confused and curious in equal parts. The coil of dread grew as realization started to settle in. Somehow, _somehow_ , he had _never_ thought about _this_ particular possibility and it should have been the very first thing to cross his mind.

“Oh no, what?”

Thor calmly moved his hands, pressed them against their chests and carefully, but firmly separated them. “No.” he shook his head, “ _No_.”

Tony didn’t seem to realize what he was talking about but a glance at his brother, delight and mischief filling eyes Thor had seen so vacant, let him know Loki had figured it out far too quickly. In fact Loki looked absolutely ecstatic in a way Thor hadn’t seen in years.

It seemed that Loki had found a potential partner in mischief and chaos. A very smart, very creative and well equipped partner who, when paired with Loki, could easily keep up and augment Loki’s own schemes. Thor opened his mouth, intent on saying _something_ , only to be interrupted.

“Save the happy reunions for after we kill my father.”

The voice was low and no-nonsense. Thor finally noticed the female standing on the ramp, arms crossed and displaying a robotic arm, as she watched them with narrowed black eyes.

“ _Blue Steel_.” Tony turned back to the female, something bordering on pouting in his tone, as Loki rolled his eyes good naturedly. It seemed his future Consort and brother had not traveled back to him alone.

“It’s the only thing she’ll let him call her that doesn’t end with a death threat.” Loki smirked, “It’s a small wonder your mortal hasn’t pissed off the wrong being yet.” Thor had often thought that on several occasions when it came to Loki himself. Next to him Thor could feel Tony puffing up in response.

“Thanos threw a fucking moon at me.” Tony pointed out, “I think I _did_ piss off the wrong being; I’m just too fucking awesome to die.” Thor could see something else in Tony’s eyes, something that told him the end of that sentence wasn’t something Tony actually believed.

Something more had happened while Tony had been in space, something that weighed on his soul, and Thor knew Tony was using _this_ to distract himself from it. He could see it in both of them, the heavy weight threatening to injure their very souls, and it had a vicious, violent surge of protectiveness threatening to bring forth another storm.

“Yet here you stand.”

“Likewise, Lo-Lo.”

He listened to their bantering, to the obvious bond they had formed on their trip back to him, and let it calm him for the time being.

They shared a look and while dread at future chaos filled Thor there was something else that overwhelmed it. Love and affection. It burned bright and hot inside of him. His little brother and his lover were both alive and returned to him. They got along in a way that Thor had never expected and was grateful for in ways he couldn’t quite put into words.

The Norns had blessed him when Thor had wondered if they had cursed him to lose everything.

He listened to the two most important people in his life return to flinging insults and taunts, Tony tucked against him and Loki only a step away, as something settled inside of him. Thor gave them a few more moments, letting their voices wash over him, before cutting in. He had introductions to make and then he was going to push them both towards one of the suites that filled Tony’s new compound.

“Come on. There is someone I want to introduce you to.”

He easily guided both of them along, Tony walking in step with him and Loki giving a token protest before following, as they moved towards the tree outside of the compound where Rocket was resting in the grass. His new friend looked up at them and Thor offered a small smile.

“This is my friend, Rabbit.”

Tony made a choked sound next to him while Loki released an exasperated sigh Thor had heard more times in his existence than he cared to count.

“Brother…that is a raccoon.”

**Author's Note:**

> I really, really couldn't resist that very last bit because I just know Loki would say something. He wouldn't be able to stop himself. I wanted the ending to be a bit humorous but, also, hopeful because they have each other again and they're going to get the others back (though that bit goes unspoken).
> 
> Also, yes, I keep finding new ways to keep Loki alive. So, basically, I'm the exact opposite of the IW writers/directors. Thor starts off drowning in grief, now that he has time to think, but I didn't let him drown for long.
> 
> This one is just a little ThunderIron IW fix-it fic but I still hope that you all enjoyed it. At least our favorite trickster is alive and two of the most important people in his life have been returned to Thor.
> 
> I'm hoping you all enjoyed my fourth IW fix-it! I'd love to know what you thought about it.
> 
>  
> 
> [My Tumblr](http://the-winter-writer.tumblr.com)


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